May 2, 2025 (NEW YORK CITY) — Raysa S. Rodriguez, Executive Director of Citizens’ Committee for Children, issued the following statement in response to the release of the New York City Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget: 

Now is a critical moment for city leaders to demonstrate their commitment to protecting and expanding the supports that children and families urgently need. 1.67 million children live in NYC, almost 20% of the total population, and their well-being must be a top budget priority. Yesterday, Mayor Eric Adams released the FY26 Executive Budget, which includes vital restorations and baselining of funding for several cornerstone programs that families across the city rely on. 

Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York (CCC) welcomes these restorations, which represent meaningful investments in children and families, including:  

• $167 million for 3-K and preschool special education 

• $25 million for extended day child care seats 

• $14 million for Community Schools 

• $18.9 million for Summer Rising 

We are also encouraged by the Administration’s steps toward achieving universal afterschool, a long-standing priority for CCC. We look forward to working with the Administration to ensure that the necessary investments are made in this next fiscal year to stabilize the current afterschool  system as we build new capacity. 

As budget negotiations move forward, CCC continues to urge city leaders to build on investments in the Executive budget by baselining funding for programs currently operating with only one-year commitments, including but not limited to:  

• $25 million for PromiseNYC 

• $36 million for Community Food Connections 

• $5 million for ECE outreach 

• $4.4 million for immigrant legal services 

• $5 million for the Mental Health Continuum 

CCC remains committed to working alongside the Administration and the City Council to meet the urgent needs of families and communities, including through new investments in preschool special education services and evaluations; housing subsidies and eviction prevention; and investments in mental health services in schools and communities.